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Declining Groundwater Levels in India: Causes and Solutions
International Journal of Arts, Commerce, Science and Technology International Open Access, Peer-reviewed, Refereed Journal
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10.56919/ijacst.v1i125001
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Submitted
31 May 2026
Revised
As per editorial record
Accepted
30 November 2025
Published
30 November 2025
Abstract
India is the world’s largest groundwater user, and rapid declines in water tables now threaten food security, urban supply, and ecosystem health. Drawing on national monitoring and recent scholarship, this paper synthesizes the drivers, spatial patterns, and consequences of falling groundwater levels, and reviews technical and policy responses. Overextraction for irrigation—enabled by cheap energy, tubewell proliferation, and water-intensive cropping—remains the dominant pressure, while accelerating urbanization, industrial demand, and contamination (fluoride, arsenic, nitrates) compound risks to public health. Climate variability alters recharge timing and reliability, increasing dependence on pumping. The problem is geographically uneven: severe depletion characterizes large tracts of the north, west, and peninsular hard-rock regions; parts of the east and northeast remain comparatively buffered but face quality hot spots and emerging stress. Socioeconomic impacts include rising pumping costs, borewell failure, livelihood losses, and deterioration of drinking-water safety. A portfolio of solutions is assessed: demand management (crop diversification, micro irrigation, laser land leveling, energy pricing reform), supply augmentation (rainwater harvesting, managed aquifer recharge), and institutional innovations (monitoring networks, well licensing, community groundwater budgeting, conjunctive use with canals, and wastewater recycling). Evidence from policy shifts in select states suggests that targeted regulation and incentives can stabilize storage seasonally, but durable recovery requires aligning farmer incentives with hydrologic limits, strengthening data transparency, and mainstreaming recharge and reuse in urban design. The paper outlines region-specific pathways to slow, halt, and reverse decline while protecting equity and food systems.
Plain Language Summary
India is the world’s largest groundwater user, and rapid declines in water tables now threaten food security, urban supply, and ecosystem health. Drawing on national monitoring a...
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Study Topic: Geography
Research Area: Geography
Key Concepts: Groundwater depletion; India; Irrigation demand; Urbanization; Climate change; Water governance; Managed aquifer recharge.
Main Finding: India is the world’s largest groundwater user, and rapid declines in water tables now
threaten food security, urban supply, and ecosystem health. Drawing on national monitoring
a...
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Copyright © 2025 International Journal of Arts, Commerce, Science and Technology. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication.
How to Cite
Dr. Ritu Singh (2025). Declining Groundwater Levels in India: Causes and Solutions. International Journal of Arts, Commerce, Science and Technology, 1(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.56919/ijacst.v1i125001
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1. Introduction
India is the world’s largest groundwater user, and rapid declines in water tables now threaten food security, urban supply, and ecosystem health. Drawing on national monitoring and recent scholarship, this paper synthesizes the drivers, spatial patterns, and consequences of falling groundwater levels, and reviews technical and policy responses. Overextraction for irrigation—enabled by cheap energy, tubewell proliferation, and water-intensive cropping—remains the dominant pressure, while accelerating urbanization, industrial demand, and contamination (fluoride, arsenic, nitrates) compound risks to public health. Climate variability alters recharge timing and reliability, increasing dep...
2. Methodology
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4. Conclusion
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